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Back Iron Winter Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. Title page
  2. Contents
  3. Map
  4. ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. TWO
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. THREE
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. FOUR
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. Afterword
  88. By Stephen Baxter
  89. Copyright

‘So, that’s that,’ Ayto said as they surveyed the wreck. ‘The end of the famous Sabet. I’ve heard of this happening. Far to the north, the kind of stories the Coldlanders tell. Not here.’

‘Well, it’s happened.’

‘We should have seen it coming. We might have hauled her out onto the ice before it closed.’

Crimm asked, ‘What good would that have done? We still weren’t going to be sailing her anywhere soon.’

Ayto nodded. ‘So what now?’

‘Now we go in and grab what we can, and see what’s what.’ He glanced around. ‘May as well build a bigger fire.’

‘We’re going to have to walk home,’ Ayto said.

‘Yes.’

‘Or at least to the edge of the ice, where we might get picked up.’

‘They’ll miss us. Send boats looking.’

‘Do we start today?’

Crimm sniffed the chill air. ‘No. The light will be going soon. We’d be better off camping for the night, sorting out the stuff. We need to carry food, the water. We can make up packs from the sails. Tents, maybe.’

‘We shouldn’t have—’

‘We shouldn’t have got stuck in the first place. We shouldn’t have been born in a time when this happens. There’s no warmth in shouldn’t haves.’

‘True enough.’ Ayto aimed a kick at the splintered wreck. ‘Poor old girl. Come on, let’s get set up before it gets any colder.’

38

The travellers came to a wall. It was only sod and earth, about the height of a man, with ditches before and behind. But it straggled off across the landscape, heading vaguely for low hills. Its meaning was clear.

Avatak stared. After all their experiences it seemed absurd to find their way blocked by a work of mere humans. ‘This wall is stupid. You could jump over it! And if I were an invading army I would just go around it, to one side or another.’

‘But this is what Cathay does,’ said Uzzia. ‘Builds walls. There has always been a tension between the nomads of the steppe and the desert, and Cathay with its farms and cities. And over history Cathay has always built walls to control the passage of the nomads, if not to exclude them altogether. Dwarfing even your great Wall, scholar, in length at least.’

Pyxeas, on the back of the mule, snorted. ‘But not matching ours in fitness for purpose. Ask Genghis Khan about that.’

They followed the wall south until they came to a shabby wooden gate. Two soldiers watched as they approached. Wearing the Mongols’ leather armour they were scruffy, dirty, and one had dried soup dribbled down his chest plate. But they had weapons, they were soldiers, and they were manning the wall.

Uzzia went forward to negotiate with the guards. She tried one dialect after another. Their responses were hostile rasps.